Airbnb super host again, a triple birthday lunch, Gaza peace deal ceasefire begins, Nobel peace prize goes to Maria Corina Machado and other stories of the week.,

 Madrid, Sunday 12th October, 2025

All dressed up and ready to go out for the special triple birthday lunch on Wednesday

Good morning everyone. Today is 12th October and the national day of Spain. But it's nothing like Bastille Day in France or 4th July in the USA.  Very few people celebrate it. Unfortunately any use of the national flag here is equated with the far right and there is a sort of lack of national identity or pride of origin which I have never understood. 12th October commemorates Christopher Columbus' arrival in the Americas in 1492 and is a public holiday. Unlike in the UK if a national holiday falls on a Sunday the Monday is a bank holiday, there is no day off  for workers. There will be a huge military parade in Madrid in front of the Spanish Royal family which I know my husband Eladio will love to watch; not me so much.

Today, at least for me, will be pretty much like last Sunday. Our weekend guests will be leaving and the house was full with 8 guests, a family from Bordeaux to see their student children and 2 young boys from Albacete here to see the bull fighting - that's a first for me hahaha. Spain is famous for its atrocious tradition of bull fighting and I would say the majority of the population find it cruel and think it should be eradicated but it has its avid followers I'm afraid. 

We went on our walk as we always try to do. Oli and family whom we didn't see last weekend, were at the Boadilla fiestas and sent us a lovely family picture.

Olivia with her family last Sunday in Boadilla at the fiestas

It was quiet day and as we sat and and enjoyed our nearly daily wine and pistachio moment in the evening we could hear sirens and see helicopters flying above us. 

One of our wine and pistachio moments. Love the glasses from Zara Home and the coconut bowls from Ribadasella which I bought with Amanda in the summer. 

We always enjoy these moments but it was a bit frightening to find out there was a fire about 500 metres away from us. Thankfully it was put out very quickly. 

I also enjoy being alerted by Airbnb on a quarterly and yearly basis that once again I have achieved super host status. I got the yearly announcement that evening as we were going to bed. 

Airbnb super host once again

It may seem easy but I can assure you it's not. Most guests are generous with their reviews but there are a few bad eggs who aren't.  Recently a rather nasty lady from Ecuador gave me what's called a revenge review with just 1 star out of 5. That really killed me as it was a room that has had a constant ranking of 5 stars after many years. It went down to 4.8 but is rising again to 4.9. Unfortunately the system will now never allow it to return to 5 stars. The system is pretty unfair to hosts, less so to guests. I have now been doing this - i.e. renting rooms in our house and the apartment in Santa Pola and latterly our holiday cottage in Asturias - since 2017. Mostly things go smoothly but not always as you probably know from some of my gripes. But as a friend, Veronica, commented "all that hard work paying off". She is right and I felt good. It's nice to be given a pat on the back sometimes. 

Monday came and brought with it an interesting email from a former pupil of Bradford Grammar School where my father taught from 1964 to 1983. Nigel who was at the school from 1964 to 1971, is embarking on a biography of those times at the school through the tales of its some of its most memorable teachers, including my dear father, even though he was never taught by him. It's so funny how my father's school comes back to haunt me over the years in a very positive way. I was close to it because of my father but also because most of our teenage gang was made up of a lot of its pupils with whom I am still in touch. His email was a nice start to the week and once again, I felt honoured and proud of "Daddy" who I still sorely miss. 

I made my second big online food order that day, this time from Mercadona and found it so easy. I just wonder why I never did it before. 

All eyes were on Egypt that day as representatives and diplomats from the USA, Israel, Egypt and Qatar were in meetings until the end of the week to put into practice the Gaza peace deal announced so proudly by Trump. He was hoping that in exchange for the deal he would win the Nobel Peace Prize. What a joke and thank God he didn't. In Spain all eyes were on the return of the Spanish members of the Gaza aid flotilla which had been detained by Israel. We knew it would never reach Gazan waters but I didn't like reading about the bad and rather inhumane treatment at the hands of the Israeli authorities meted out to the activists. 

While that was happening, far away on Mount Everest there was a huge blizzard and non stop snow which I suppose is pretty normal so high up. What amazed me was how many people were trapped. Were there honestly 1000 on the world's highest mountain? Thankfully they were all rescued. 

Tuesday marked the 2nd anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel. The fanatical Palestinian group killed some 1200 people and kidnapped 250 others. It was terrible but more terrible in my mind was Israel's disproportionate response. Since then the IDF has killed over 67.000 Gazans and almost destroyed the Gaza Strip.  Perhaps the main point of the Peace Plan is the return of the remaining 46 hostages of whom only 26 are dead. The others will hopefully return to Israel tomorrow. Now Hamas has lost its last bargaining chip. But honestly too, why did Hamas continue to fight knowing that the Gaza Strip and its people were being annihilated and that they could never win? Nobody seems to be asking that question. 

Life continued at home peacefully - aren't we lucky to live where we do? That day saw us in something similar to an Aladdin's Cave. In Spain there is a minority population of Chinese and apart from restaurants, many of them set up cheapo type shops which literally sell everything, including the kitchen sink.  We needed to buy some birthday cake candles and headed to one not far from here as the local one has closed down. What a place, it was enormous and sold everything. I can't begin to describe it with its endless aisles but it was most enticing. 

At the big Chinese shop this week

Of note we had the pleasure of the company of a 26 year old Chinese girl called Mira who was here on business. She fell in love with the house and with us and we had long conversations. If only she would have switched the lights off sometimes or close her door. 

Ah, I must record too that after more digging out of clothes in my overloaded walk in dressing room, I dug out a colourful denim waistcoat which I hadn't worn for years. I bought it in Sedona, Arizona, on a Motorola press trip there in about 1993, so more than 20 years ago. This is it.

Rediscovering my denim waist coat from Sedona bought over 20 years ago. I loved it then and I love it now.. 

I wore it again on Friday and Oli complemented on me on how good I looked. She remembers the waist coat. There was skirt to go with it but who knows where it is now.

In Spain the big news that day was the collapse of a building that was being renovated and turned into a hotel. I don't quite know what happened but I do know that tragically, 4 workers died, 3 of them from Mali, Ghana and Ecuador and a young Spanish female architect. Dreadful. 

Wednesday came and it was a big day. We had the lunch to go to of course, but I also had an appointment with a pelvic floor gynecologist at the private hospital in Pozuelo called Quirón where I always go for my annual woman's check up.  I went because I have a prolapse  that happened in 2022 but it has become unbearable. Dra. Del Haro was lovely. She pronounced it was a Stage 3 cystocele and offered surgery already next month. She will be performing what I have learned is called an anterior colporrhaphy. I'm not scared of the operation but very wary of the recovery stage as this is not so simple for me as I have lifelong bladder condition of hyper sensitivity which complicates everything. Suffice it to say, peeing, right now is awful and very similar to cystitis. If you have ever had cystitis you will understand. The doctor was very understanding but wondered why on earth previous gynecologists had not suggested this operation. I wonder why too.

I didn't have much time to think about the operation for which I am having the pre-op tests on 23rd October, as we had to head to our lunch. 

So, to our lunch. It was to celebrate not only Eladio's birthday, but also his two best friends, Roberto and Juanjo who he used to work with  in the Spanish Ministry of Education.  It would be the birthday "boys" and their partners, Mari Carmen and Justi. All three of them turned 81 this year; Eladio's birthday being the last. He himself organised the lunch and he bought the cake and the candles. Well done my dear husband. If you read last weeks' blog, you may remember I had a few outfits to choose from and asked your opinions. In the end I did what I wanted and wore the Zara white laced chemise over black leggings. Someone told me I was too short to wear that outfit but I didn't care. Tana took photos of us before we left and I have chosen one of them for this week's feature photo. For the occasion, Eladio is wearing the turquoise linen shirt we bought in Altea last month. 

And not to bore you with details of our lunch at El Jardin de la Máquina, here are some photos to remember the triple birthday lunch which we much enjoyed. It was so lovely to dress up and go out for once.  We should do it more often.

Pictures from the triple birthday lunch with our friends, from left to right: Justi, Eladio, Juanjo, Roberto and Mari Carmen

We had such a good time we didn't get home till nearly 6 pm - sort of dinner time in some countries, hahaha. Spain does have late eating times but I've got used to that after nearly all my life living here. 

Suzy joined us for some wine by the kitchen patio upon our return and I was upset to see her so depressed again. It's continuous and she told me she thought she will never ever feel happy again and that she has no reason to get out of bed in the mornings. She breaks my heart. I am hoping things will get a bit better when she starts her weekend job as a dietitian on 20th October, although I am secretly worried she might not be up to it. Bless her. I do wish I knew how to help her. 

Thursday brought peace finally after 2 years of the Gaza war with Israel. At least it brought a ceasefire of 72 hours.  The parties had agreed to the first phase of the Gaza peace plan which includes the release of the last of the hostages, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the entry of aid into the Strip. The first phase came into force on Friday at noon. I honestly hope that there will be agreement on the rest of the plan and that eventually there will be a Palestinian state governed by reasonable people. It's a lot to hope for but this is the beginning. Trump is taking all the credit and I think a lot should also go to diplomats from Qatar and Egypt but his ego so is so big. He is flying there today, I think, to sign the agreement which he is so proud of.  Can't stand the man and I hate to read about the horrible deportations in the US of immigrants - that is hardly peace is it? Or his military interventions in big cities like Chicago. 

And there I was peacefully making boeuf stroganof for lunch when I realised  I had forgotten my video call with Nigel the writer and ex pupil of BGS: Finally we had it a bit late but it was most enjoyable and there was lots to tell each other. I later sent him lots of contacts of people who I knew would want to help too with his biography of the school in the 60's and its teachers. 

Storm Alice was brewing in South East Spain that day on the Valencian coast, including Alicante and Murcia where a lot of rain was forecast. The authorities who have learned from the disastrous management of  the big "Dana" storm in Valencia which killed so many people a year ago were more prepared this time. They ordered the closing of schools, big events and even camping sites. Thus I was very surprised to get a sudden  booking to stay at our apartment in Santa Pola that very day. Thankfully the place was clean and ready and dear Gina gave the girls the keys and showed them the flat. They were looking for accommodation as their concert had been cancelled and the campsite closed. Their misfortune was my fortune I suppose. I think they were a group of 5 girls who must have spent the time playing cards as it has rained non stop in that area. 

On Friday the first stage of the peace deal was ratified by the Israeli government and the ceasefire began. 

This is the outline. 

Outline of the peace deal

Only the first stage has been agreed to. How the rest will pan out will depend largely on Hamas who are supposed to disarm and leave government to other parties. Just yesterday Hamas began recalling its members to reassert control over Gaza causing internal fighting between the factions. 

After the beginning of the ceasefire there began the long road home for displaced Palestinians on their way back to Gaza City to find nothing but rubble. Remember Aleppo in Syria? This is far worse and Similar to what Berlin looked like at the end of the WW2.  This image I copied from The Times brings back memories of displaced people in WW2 or the migration after the Partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. 

Gazans wearily making their way back, not to their homes which have been destroyed but to where they lived before to hopefully, one day, rebuild their homes and their lives.

Shortly afterwards the Nobel Prize for peace was announced, the one that Trump was longing for. But it didn't go to him, it went to Maria Corina Machado from Venezuela. 

The 58 year old opposition leader lives in hiding and in fear of being jailed by Maduro, the country's dictator. She hasn't really brought peace to her country but was awarded the prize for "her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy" in the words of the The Norwegian Nobel Committee. Whether she will ever be able to do that remains to be seen. María is a very courageous woman. It also remains to be seen if she will be able to travel to Oslo for the prize which I very much doubt as she lives in fear of her life. I heard her take the phone call telling her she had won the prize. She could hardly believe it and kept saying "oh my God, I can't believe it". It will certainly spur her on in her efforts to bring democracy to Venezuela. God help her. Trump was pretty furious and later said that the Nobel committee had prized politics over peace. Unbelievably later Machado dedicated her prize to Trump! Apparently he later spoke to her and said she had accepted the prize "in honour of him". Can his ego get even bigger?

All this was happening during our morning walk and these were the topics of our conversation.More mundanely I was thinking of possible menus for that night's dinner with Oli and family. In the end I made my trademark and trusty potato salad but I also dared make for the first time ever, cod fritters called "buñuelos de bacaloa". This was my potato salad. The ingredients are: potatoes, carrots, peas, chopped spring onion, chopped hard boiled eggs, prawns and home made mayonnaise. 

My trademark potato salad from a recipe I have inherited from my paternal grandfather and which comes from a Swiss recipe book I no longer have. 

Oli and family arrived a bit late and half way through our meal our French guests arrived from Bordeaux. I had to leave the table to greet them. Celine is a teacher of Spanish in France and her husband Bruno speak Spanish. They would be a group of 6 and we hardly saw them as they were always out. Only when I had settled them in could I return to the table. Shortly afterwards Oli and co left and we went to bed early. Well, we always go to bed early. 

Saturday came and Tana was rushing round doing her morning tasks as fast as possible so as to leave early for her weekend off.  We went on our walk and I came home to have coffee in the kitchen and then make our lunch. For the record I made another trademark dish - my version of Chicken Tikka Masala. But it was only Eladio and me for lunch yesterday so there is plenty left. Suzy was out with her bosom friend Copi and later told me she had had a better day than if she had stayed at home. 

And today is Sunday, Spain's national day  - not that we will be celebrating it - and today will be a lot like most of our Sundays these last few weeks. It will be another sunny day making our walk very pleasant but gone are the temperatures in the high twenties. However,  we can still expect 24ºc which I am sure is better than in my beloved Yorkshire or England in general. Hopefully Storm Alice will have waned by now and soon there will be sun again in Santa Pola as there nearly always is.

So that's it from me for this week. Wishing you a happy Sunday, cheers for now,

Masha